Channel 4 Comedy Lab pilots 2007
Here is our guide to the comedies that made up Channel 4's 2007 Comedy Lab pilot season...
1. Karl Pilkington: Satisfied Fool
Karl Pilkington is best known for the world-record-breaking podcasts that he does with friends Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant... where he is frequently told that he is an idiot.
Karl left school 19 years ago with only one GCSE - an E in history - an exam that he doesn't remember taking. After years of ridicule, he has decided to find out just how intelligent he is and if having more knowledge would make him any happier: "Me mates keep telling me that I should be more intelligent and that I should know more, but... I say, if I did know more, would it make me any happier?"
Karl gets advice from known intellectuals, including Germaine Greer, Will Self and even David Icke, while explaining his concerns on gaining more knowledge.
Broadcast: Monday 22nd October
2. Documental
Documental is a fly-on-the-wall documentary sketch show, where the comedy characters are all real people.
Meet speed-walking coach Andy 'Walkie Talkie' Flier, who is training a pair of McDonald's workers to speed walk into the 2012 Olympics. Or say hello to 'The Benders', Manchester urchins who run around the streets with their shirts off practising the latest urban craze 'Parkour'. Then there's Leanne, the 'Dippy DJ' from Juice FM in Liverpool who can't stop laughing.
These comedy characters and more make up Documental: 30 minutes of hilarity as unbelievable real people do what they do best... be themselves.
Broadcast: Tuesday 23rd October
3. Ain't It Funny Being Coloured
Ain't It Funny Being Coloured is a multi-cultural sketch show that looks at race, prejudice, stereotypes, and how everything isn't quite as it seems on the surface.
Written by up-and-coming comedy writer Indy Selvarajah and introducing some of the newest and freshest comedy talent in the UK. Starring Daniel Taylor, Andi Osho, Rachel Hankey, David Reed, Adeel Ahmed, Gita Gupta, Kwai Chai and Katsumi Kitano.
Broadcast: Wednesday 24th October
4. The Smallest Game in Town
The Smallest Game in Town is a 30-minute comedy drama that eavesdrops on six dysfunctional friends who have met every Friday without fail for the past ten years to play poker. They are all self-absorbed with a bleak outlook on a world they believe revolves around them. Only round the green baize would they get away with their wayward and myopic views.
Although they don't realise it, they need each other's company otherwise they would live in bitter isolation.
Starring Ben Allan, Eric Barlow, Andy Gray, Claire Grogan, Gary Lewis, Sandy McDade, Annie MacLeod and Manu Kurewa.
Broadcast: Thursday 25th October
5. Doug Stanhope, Go Home
Controversial American stand-up Doug Stanhope delivers hard-hitting, thought-provoking comedy looking at immigration in Britain. Immigration is on the increase and Doug's big question is: why?
Why would anyone want to move to a country characterised by grey skies, bad service and miserable, misshapen, lazy losers with no hope for the future?
During the show Doug tries to get a British passport, works the dayshift at a potato factory with Polish immigrants, tackles the great British public on talk radio, and discusses nationalism with the BNP.
Broadcast: Friday 26th October
6. Blowout
Blowout is a concentrated burst of sketch show silliness from Glasgow. Fast, funny, feel-good and fun featuring everything from pointy fingers in the boardroom to Green Goblins in the bedroom.
Broadcast: Saturday 27th October
7. Uncle Rubbish
Uncle Rubbish is a brand new children's comedy sketch show for adults. A trouser-frothing bouillabaisse of wonky puppetry, odd animation and fuzzy live action, Uncle Rubbish is that programme you vaguely remember watching when you were off school with the mumps.
With voiceovers from Kevin Eldon, Kevin Bishop and Morwenna Banks.
Broadcast: Sunday 28th October. Note: Working title was S**t Club
8. Swizzcall
In Swizzcall, four up-and-coming comedians play host to a spoof quiz channel that offers contestants the chance to win bizarre prizes if they can answer their ridiculous questions. Featured games include Guess the Celebrity Dogger, The Mystery Round, where contestants must pick the right answer from a list that includes every object, thing and person in the universe and the self-explanatory Stench of Blackpool.
Broadcast: Sunday 28th October
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